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Miracle Man
"Miracle Man" is the nineteenth episode of Miami Vice's fifth season and the second of four "lost episodes" aired after the series finale "Freefall" aired. The episode premiered on June 21, 1989. Summary A man playing a superhero spoils drug busts, and becomes the target of hitmen, hustlers, and reporters. Plot A rip-off artist named Torres is late for a meet with Crockett & Tubbs, having stolen a shipment from Aguila (Daniel Rojo) & Perena (John Castellanos). Torres shows and brings the drugs, when a voice commanding everyone to freeze, when a man wearing a "M" shirt calling himself "Miracle Man" (Jose Perez) tells everyone he will rid the city of drugs, and takes off after Torres. Crockett finds his "weapon" is a chocolate gun. At OCB, Tubbs thinks Torres is ready to roll on Aguila & Perena (because of the Miracle Man incident), despite their reputations as stone-cold killers. An APB is out on "Miracle Man", while Commissioner Williford (Conrad Roberts) calls Tubbs & Switek to Metro because a reporter named Eric Terry (Zach Grenier) wants to follow them around, capturing for video posterity a day in the life of a Miami Vice cop. Switek & Tubbs are hesitant, but Williford--interested in ratings and positive PR--overrule them, and leave with the "don't call us, we'll call you" cliche to Terry. Tubbs & Switek find Torres dead, and "Miracle Man" is inciting a crowd about the drug problems and wants the people to help him catch the dealers, then Switek & Tubbs bring him over and tell him to butt out of their investigations or end up in jail. Aguila & Perena are talking about developments, especially Miracle Man, and set a deal with Tubbs & Switek for that night. Izzy is doing a greenhouse scam when "Miracle Man" shows up, reveals himself as Jorge "Georgie" Esteban, Izzy's cousin, and they step inside for a papa double--"Hemingway's favorite drink", but Izzy warns him about Aguila & Perena, and that they will kill him if he keeps it up. Terry stops by and wants to get "Miracle Man's" message out on his show Society's Watchdog, but Izzy wants some compensation for his cousin to appear, or he'll take the story to Geraldo, Phil, Oprah, or Letterman. Inside a bar, Tubbs & Switek are watching Aguila when "Miracle Man" shows up to call him out again, then Terry shows up with his camera. Georgie is in OCB talking with the two Vice cops when they are called to Williford's office, where Terry wants to put them on (behind a screen) with "Miracle Man", Tubbs politely declines and they walk out, and meet up with Aguila, who wants to deal but Tubbs is reluctant because of all the publicity around him & "Miracle Man", and wants him to take them to Perena, but he refuses and they leave. While Georgie is on TV with Terry on his show, a minor player named Ricky drops off money to Perena, then gets roughed up while one of his men takes the money from the room, when Georgie jumps him, knocks him out, takes his money, and gives it to a crowd of people, while Izzy is selling T-shirts and other items. Tubbs & Switek ask Izzy about Georgie when Perena's muscle does a drive-by shooting. Georgie is taken into protective custody, when Switek & Tubbs head to their meet with Aguila & Perena, Georgie talks to Gina and finds the reason for his crusade: His daughter Theresa died from an OD, because she wanted to be like her father (a former user), and he wants to stop the dealers so more people don't end up like Theresa. Perena wants Tubbs & Switek to eliminate "Miracle Man", before he will deal. They return to where Georgie was stashed and find him gone and Gina locked in the bathroom, so Tubbs & Switek go see Izzy who tells them to try either the "Batcave" or Little Havana, Sector 60, or at a hospital. Gina & Trudy find that Georgie is a manic depressive, and may be trying to get something for the crashed state he's in, while he walks around on his down-side, Georgie calls Aguila and wants to meet, face-to-face, at Sheppard's Park. They do, and in the struggle Agulia pulls his gun out, but is shot dead. Georgie is completely out of it after the shooting, and his two other daughters are brought in to help him snap out of it, but it doesn't work, because he still hasn't gotten over Theresa's death, and is locked in a mental hospital. Perena is ready to deal now that "Miracle Man" is locked up, while Terry was on a payphone at the same time. Izzy (dressed up as a doctor) tries to see Georgie, knocks out a doctor and gets him out. Terry stops by to propose a TV series, and starts out by being involved in the Perena deal, including a new costume. The deal goes down, then Miracle Man shows up and a shootout entails, during which everyone is killed, including Perena & Georgie. When Terry shows up to say "somebody should do something" about Georgie, Switek knocks him out. Izzy is consoled by the team over the loss of his cousin. Notes *Zach Grenier played an IAD officer in Season 3's "Theresa". *Edward James Olmos doesn't appear in this episode, his absence explained by being in Orlando testifying in a case with Crockett. *The following year (1990), the reality series COPS premiered on FOX, doing exactly what Terry was doing in this show, except the FOX series deals mainly with black & white units, only rarely getting involved with undercover work. Music No music is used other than the Tim Truman soundtrack. Quotes *"Bet this has a lot of kick to it!" -- Crockett before taking a bite out of "Miracle Man's 'weapon'" *"Hey, Tubby, I heard you had a close encounter of the weird kind!" -- Switek Category:Miami Vice Season 5 Episodes